MOUNT VERNON — On a day when America’s workers are honored, the struggling economic times have changed what it means to have a job for many in the community.

This Labor Day finds many, who would rather be working, sending out resumes, filling out applications and accepting jobs they never thought they would find themselves doing in order to pay bills while they wait to find jobs in their chosen vocations.

Mount Vernon resident Lisa Campbell fears she may have to return to her native New Hampshire, because she was recently laid off from a temporary factory job.

“It’s hard,” she said of the job hunting which she said has led to a frustrating lack of offers. “I haven’t heard anything from anyone.”

Campbell would like to find another temporary job while she continues to search for a permanent position. She is staying with her brother, but said she will probably return to New Hampshire if she is unable to find work in the next month.

Bill and Margaret Edmond, who live in Mount Vernon, are trying to make ends meet by mowing lawns.

“It’s hard because we don’t have a car, and we have to ride the mower or push the other mower,” Margaret said.

Bill is partially blind, and said holding down a regular job is not an option for him. The couple has been mowing in the warmer months, and shoveling snow in the winter, for about six years.

Margaret said, after mowing a lawn in 90-plus degree heat last week, the lack of rain has cut down on the need for mowing in the area. Because the couple can’t afford to advertise, the Edmonds rely on word of mouth and references from other customers. They make $10 to $15 per lawn.

The Edmonds say they are willing to tackle whatever odd jobs are offered, such as painting or raking leaves.

According to July statistics from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, the unemployment rate in Knox County is 6.8 percent, up from 6.5 percent one month ago. The national rate is 6 percent.

Agencies which help workers find jobs are finding their services much in demand these days. The resource center at Opportunity Knox, which provides many free services for job hunters, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“People can stop in any time for help,” said resource room staff member Lori Rudrick. “We’ve had a few more [requesting services] lately, especially with TRW closing.

“We can help people with resumes, cover letters and mock job interviews,” Rudrick said. “They have access in here to a copier, phones, a fax and the Internet.”

Rudrick said some people who have recently lost their jobs may also qualify for free job training through the Workforce Investment Act.

All of these services are available free of charge at the Opportunity Knox office at 17604 Coshocton Road in Mount Vernon.

Lee Ann Heitmeyer, a managing partner for Atrium Personnel in Mount Vernon, said the services of her temporary staffing company are in high demand.

“Because of the economic conditions, a lot of businesses have turned to staffing companies to meet their needs because they’re also unsure of the economy,” Heitmeyer said.

The agency matches employees with a company who may need help for only one day, or much longer.

“With our biggest client, it can be two years or longer, and several of our clients need seasonal help,” she said.

Heitmeyer said that although some staffers she finds work for like the variety of changing employers on a regular basis, many are looking for temporary to permanent positions, which Atrium also helps workers find.

A desire to find a better paying job, or to make a career change, leads many back to school for more training or to finish their degrees.

Earning a college degree does not always guarantee employers will knock on your door in the current economy, however. Universities are seeing a trend where more qualified graduates compete for a limited number of positions in their chosen field.

Elaine Blair, director of Career Services at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, explained that students today need to be prepared to find a job in more than one career.

“You will see that throughout the nation,” she said.

“I call it career and re-career,” Blair said. “You have one career, and then you look at another career as well. We encourage students to have a major and a minor, or even a double major. This makes their options broader. You need to be multifaceted and have many options.”

Blair said her department helps students with internships and volunteer positions that can make them more competitive in the job market.

“We can help with resumes, and we have all kinds of programs to help students,” she said. “My goal is to provide them with all of the tools they need to succeed in the work world.”

After graduating from Ohio Dominican University, Mount Vernon resident David Heffelfinger has sold insurance and worked as a substitute teacher while looking for a full-time teaching job.

“It’s pretty rough out there right now,” Heffelfinger said. “There’s a lot of people out there looking for teaching jobs. It’s really flooded.”

Heffelfinger, who is 39, went back to college as an adult. A factory worker most of his adult life, he said he was inspired by a supervisor at work to go back to school and change careers.

He has been substituting at schools throughout the county since April.

“I thought the best opportunity would be to work as a substitute while I try to find a job,” he explained.

Heffelfinger said he has friends in the same predicament who have been looking for full-time work longer than he has. A friend who works as a tutor and substitute in Hilliard has been searching for three years.

“I get discouraged every once in a while,” Heffelfinger said. He said he’d like to teach in Knox County, but would take any teaching job offered to him at this point. “I really don’t care, as long as I get a job.”

Another sign of the times is the growing number of people who have second and even third jobs to supplement the income from their primary jobs. Delivering pizzas and working in restaurants or retail establishments are jobs many people with families find themselves doing in their “time off” to try and make ends meet.

Eric Brown of Mount Vernon supplements the income from his daytime factory job with weekend and night work at a local pizza place.

“I just can’t pay all the bills I have with that one job,” he explained. “Even with the cost of fuel, I make enough doing deliveries to pay one or two bills a month.”

Making adjustments and sacrifices, sometimes going to a second- or third-shift job after working an eight-hour day, can mean less time spent together as a family, and almost no downtime.

Brown, the father of two, said he does not see his children as often as he would like, but the cost of living requires him to spend the weekend and two nights a week at his second job.

“They know I’m doing this for them, too,” he said. “Kids need stuff, and the price of everything keeps going up.”

He said he would like to have a schedule more like his parents — his dad working until dinner time, and his mom being home when he and his sister returned from school.

“That’s just not how it is today. If you’ve got an opportunity to work, you’ve got to do it,” he said.